


Shadow of Death

by Bionerd2Point0, CaptainLordAuditor, LuthienLuinwe



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Anal Fingering, Angst, Biting, Bottom Jason Todd, Catholic themes, Conflict with Religious Values, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Father Jason Todd, Internalized Homophobia, Jason tries to be a good priest, Kinda, M/M, Rape/Non-con - Freeform, Religious Content, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, SFW art, Sacrilege, Smut, Temperature Play, Vampire Dick Grayson, minor blood, no beta we die like jason todd, probably, vampire trance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:02:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bionerd2Point0/pseuds/Bionerd2Point0, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainLordAuditor/pseuds/CaptainLordAuditor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuthienLuinwe/pseuds/LuthienLuinwe
Summary: The young man hesitates, glancing from Jason to the shadows around them and back.Keeping his posture open and welcoming, Jason continues, “Do you have a place to stay? It’s supposed to snow tonight.”There’s a flash of pink as the young man licks his lower lip, and to Jason’s surprise, he finally speaks up. “No. I’m… I don’t have a place to stay.”It’s past ten o’clock, and Jason knows there’s no way any of the homeless shelters will be open to take the young man in. “Why don’t you come inside? I live here. You’re welcome to take my bed for the night. I’m more than willing to sleep in the sanctuary.”The young man huffs a humorless laugh, looking up at the church building. “I don’t think I’ll be welcome here.”“Nonsense. All are welcome in the house of the Lord. Please, come in out of the cold?”
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Comments: 27
Kudos: 125
Collections: Batfam Ship Artist/Writer Pair-ups





	Shadow of Death

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends!! If you just wandered in and have not yet glanced over the tags, please do so now. This fic contains rape/non-con (hence the warnings) as well as a great deal of religious themes that some might not enjoy. 
> 
> If you’ve already read the tags, and are here anyways, well. Enjoy. ;)
> 
> -Bio

“May almighty God bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” he crosses the air before him as he is met with a chorus of “amen’s.” “This mass has ended. Go in peace now to love and to serve the Lord.”

Jason takes a moment, only a moment, to settle his mind before looking toward his flock. There’s only a handful left now that food is no longer being served, but a smile splits his face as he steps down from the altar to approach them. Most of the gathered are already on their way out the door, winding scarves around their throats and buttoning up thick coats, but the woman with the baby who has attended the last three meals and services looks like she might finally be willing to speak with him. 

It’s late, so he doesn’t engage her in conversation for long, but it’s a relief to hear that she has a safe place to stay. He still makes sure she knows where the good women’s shelters are and waits outside the door of the Parish Hall until she ducks into the back of an idling car, smiling at the driver in a familiar way that releases the anxious knot in his chest. 

It never gets easier, watching them go back out into the world. Within his walls, he can protect them. Outside… It was easier to pretend the things that happened in this part of Gotham didn’t happen. It’s a foolish ignorance, but one he does not think he can live without.

He lingers long enough to watch the car drive off and is about to turn around to lock the doors of the hall when shifting shadows catch his eye. There, in the shadows of the Parish Hall and the church itself was a man. It’s too dark outside to make out the details, but Jason can tell even from this distance that his coat is much too thin for February in Gotham. 

“Hello?” he calls. 

Bright blue eyes stare back at him, clearly surprised at having been noticed.

“Are you all right?” 

The shadows shift as the young man steps forward, and Jason’s breath catches at how beautiful he is. Dark hair curling loosely above those alluring eyes, a strong jaw, broad shoulders… He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, chastising himself for getting so easily distracted. All men must be tempted. This was something he had been taught from day one. Even the Lord himself had been tested. Why should he be exempt? 

The young man’s shoulders are curved inward defensively as he shivers in the night air.

“My name is Jason, the priest of this parish.” He gestures to the church behind them and the hall at their side. “We’ve just cleaned up from our weekly soup kitchen, but I can warm something up if you’d like?” 

The young man hesitates, glancing from Jason to the shadows around them and back. 

Keeping his posture open and welcoming, Jason continues, “Do you have a place to stay? It’s supposed to snow tonight.”

There’s a flash of pink as the young man licks his lower lip, and to Jason’s surprise, he finally speaks up. “No. I’m… I don’t have a place to stay.”

It’s past ten o’clock, and Jason knows there’s no way any of the homeless shelters will be open to take the young man in. “Why don’t you come inside? I live here. You’re welcome to take my bed for the night. I’m more than willing to sleep in the sanctuary.”

The young man huffs a humorless laugh, looking up at the church building. “I don’t think I’ll be welcome here.”

“Nonsense. All are welcome in the house of the Lord. Please, come in out of the cold?” Jason holds the door open, and a smile breaks out over his face when the young man finally approaches. “What is your name?”

There’s a glint in the man’s eye that Jason can’t quite place, but he lowers his gaze before Jason can analyze it further. “... Dick.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dick.” Jason locks the doors, testing them to make sure the latch won’t open, then turns back to his guest. “Would you like something to eat?”

Dick’s lips twitch into a half-smile that he quickly smothers and shakes his head. “No, I’m fine.”

Hesitating, Jason tries to decide if he’s said something wrong. Dick seems to be in on some kind of joke that Jason is clearly not part of. “If you’re sure,” is what he settles on, but it leaves him feeling unsatisfied, even as Dick once again insists he’s fine. “My rooms are this way, if you don’t need anything else?”

Dick gestures for him to lead the way, and carefully skirts around the dish of holy water they pass, pointedly not blessing himself. That’s fine, there is no prerequisite for kindness here. Catholic and non-Catholic alike deserve a helping hand.

Jason leads him to the rectory at the back of the Parish Hall, which shares a wall with the church proper. 

“The bathroom is just through there,” he says, gesturing to the closed door, “and there are nightlights that stay on, so you won’t have to try and navigate in the dark.” He opens the door to his room, flipping on the light and feeling a bit of relief that he keeps everything tidy. “It’s not much, but it’s warm and there are plenty of blankets.”

A twin sized bed is pushed up against one wall, with a dresser at the foot of the bed. A desk rests opposite next to a small wardrobe that houses his formal robes, and he’s already dreading the stifling heat of wearing them all day tomorrow. A small table holding his Bible and rosary sits by the door.

“Will this be alright?” he asks, turning back towards Dick.

Dick shoots him a blinding smile, and he’s once again struck by how unfairly gorgeous the man is. “This is more than perfect, Father.”

Jason sends a quick prayer of repentance to God for his sinful thoughts. If ever there was a word that he should _not_ find sexy, ‘Father’ is it. Thoughts and images fill his head, and he quickly pushes them aside. It is neither the time nor the place. He made a promise years ago, and he intends to keep it until his dying breath.

_Bless me, Father, for I have sinned..._

“Please, call me Jason.” He clears his throat. “Just let me gather a few things, and I’ll leave you to sleep. It will just take a moment.”

He unfastens the tight white collar around his throat, setting it on the dresser for tomorrow. Breathing a sigh of relief, he undoes the top two buttons of his shirt and rubs at the irritated skin against his neck. 

Dick’s gaze is a heavy weight against the side of his head, and he feels his face growing hot under the scrutiny. 

“I’ll have to wake you in the morning, most likely,” he rambles. “Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, so there will be a lot of activity in the church and I can’t take my robes with me now.” He didn’t bother trying to explain the blessings involved with putting on the robes, and trusts that Dick will be understanding. “You’re welcome to stay for the Mass, of course. I’ll be leading the evening one, but if you would rather leave, that is fine as well.” 

He swallows a mouthful of spit, trying to wet his suddenly dry throat, and it takes him three tries to open the right drawer for his sleepwear. “There’s a shelter on the corner of West 13th and 5th Avenue if you still need a place to stay tomorrow, and I keep a collection of pamphlets for local soup kitchens by the front bulletin board if you need any of those.” 

A drop of sweat slides down his temple, and staring down at his trembling hands he finally acknowledges the source of his anxiety. God forgive him, but he has not been so tempted by the sins of the flesh since he was given a second chance at life all those years ago.

A solid presence behind him freezes him in place, and he holds his breath as a gentle touch trails across his shoulders. 

“Is something troubling you, Father? You seem nervous.” 

Dick’s words spur him into action, and Jason artfully ducks away from the touch with a strangled chuckle. “I’m all right, but thank you.”

He should leave. He _really_ should leave. He has everything he needs, and he knows he’s just stalling at this point. Trying to stay near Dick as long as he can. Those vivid blue eyes are going to haunt his dreams for weeks after this. They’re so bright they practically seem to glow from beneath those dark lashes.

“I have everything I need but… may I offer you a blessing? Ask God to protect you in the coming days?” 

Dick laughs, bright and amused as he takes a seat at the end of Jason’s bed. “No. I think it’s better if you don’t.”

“Please,” he’s practically begging without knowing why. There is something almost hypnotic about Dick, and he finds it more and more difficult to leave. “You do not need to believe, but it would give me peace to know you are being looked after once you leave this place.”

Dick sighs, looking up at him, seeming to peer into his very soul. “God gave up on me a long time ago. It’s best to leave Him out of the picture.”

Never has Jason heard a more heartbreaking statement, and he finds himself going to his knees next to Dick, reaching out to take his hands. They are cold as ice, probably from being out so long in the cold. He will need to see if there are any gloves in the clothing donations. Dick could use them. 

“No, no I promise.” He looks up at Dick, trying to make him see the truth. “God is most merciful. No matter what you’ve done, no matter which sins you think are unforgivable, you can be forgiven. You need only ask for that forgiveness, and it will be granted. You could confess them. To me. I could absolve you here and now.”

Dick smiles down at him, grinning wide enough that it takes a predatory edge. “You think that I can be saved, Father?”

Gulping, Jason’s throat is suddenly dry, and he can’t drag his eyes away from Dick’s. “...Yes.”

“You think I am deserving of mercy?”

“All of God’s children deserve mercy.” Heaven knows that Jason was among the worst of men before his touch with death. If he can be saved, anyone can. 

Dick’s smile softens, and he pulls one of his hands away from Jason’s grasp to brush Jason’s hair from his face. His hand lingers, cupping Jason’s jaw gently with cold fingers. “Save your mercy, Jason. You will need it more than I.”

It’s on the tip of Jason’s tongue to ask what Dick means, but then Dick is on his tongue and he can’t gather the brainpower to comprehend anything else. 

Dick kisses in a way that possesses him entirely, overwhelming Jason and demanding he give in. He struggles weakly, for a moment, but he cannot stop himself from kissing back. It has been so long since he’s done this. Back in the days he himself had been living on the streets. A stranger, a shadow in a world that loved him not.

He ends up on the bed before he can fully process what is happening, Dick’s hands in his hair, forcing his head back. He fists the back of Dick’s shirt, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer. Dick makes the decision for him and pulls back, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

“What…” Jason cuts himself off, staring as Dick effortlessly rips his shirt open sending buttons flying.

“Oh? Do you have something to say, Father?” Dick slides an ice cold hand down the bared skin of Jason’s chest, laughing when he gasps in shock.

He keeps his living area warm, yet Dick has not warmed up at all. 

“Don’t worry,” he says, leaning down to hover over Jason’s face, “I’ll be gentle.”

“Dick? This is… This is wrong. We need to stop.” Jason tries to put some authority in his voice, tries shoving at the hand on his chest, but Dick is rock solid, and Jason may as well be a kitten batting at him.

Dick catches his nipple between nimble fingers and starts rolling it gently as it pebbles up at the cold. “Oh, _Father._ Is that what you really want? Do you _really_ want me to stop? Because I don’t think you do.” 

Dick’s other hand wanders down, and Jason lets out a choked sob because he already knows what the other man will find. The zipper of his pants is already digging into his erection, and it’s only going to get worse. 

“Well would you look at this.” Dick throws back his head and laughs, palming Jason’s cock. “I’ve been watching you for a long time, Jason, but I thought it’d take more than this to warm you up.”

Shaking his head, he can’t help but moan when Dick squeezes him through the fabric.

“I think you’re wearing a bit too much clothing, don’t you agree, Father?” Dick breathes into his ear.

Jason opens his mouth to disagree, but lets out a sigh instead when Dick leans down and latches his mouth onto the nipple that’s been neglected from his torturous teasing. He lifts his hips unconsciously at Dick’s urging, and by the time he processes that much, Dick’s weight is off of him and his pants are gone.

Dick throws the clothing aside like it personally offends him, then reaches over and pulls open the drawer of Jason’s nightstand, digging around for a moment before pulling out—

His thoughts screech to a halt. 

Dick just pulled out a bottle of lube. It’s tiny. Travel sized, practically, and Jason very rarely uses it. Only breaks it out when he needs that something _extra._ No one was ever meant to discover it, and if Judith, the woman who manages the parish, has ever noticed it, she’s said nothing.

Dick wiggles the bottle back and forth above him, clearly delighted at Jason’s horror. “Now what is a good priest like you doing with _this,_ hmm?”

Licking his lips, Jason doesn’t reply. If Dick has been watching him long enough, close enough, to know where to find this, then Dick knows exactly what Jason uses it for.

“Actually, don’t tell me.” Dick pops the cap open with a smirk. “Let me guess.” 

He squeezes some of it onto his fingers, then sets it to the side. 

“Do you use it to tease yourself?” Dick trails his wet fingers over Jason’s nipples, making him gasp.

How are Dick’s hands so cold?

“Or is it just a little extra to help smooth things along?” 

The fingers trail down his abdomen and lightly touch the head of his cock, tracing along the ridge before following a vein down his shaft.

“ _I_ think that dear, dear Father Todd has a guilty pleasure. A guilty pleasure that makes him a very bad boy indeed.” 

Dick pouts his lower lip, but Jason just barely sees _it_ before his eyes flutter shut as those fingers trail down over his balls and rub at his taint. A trick of the light. Had to be.

“Yes, I think you have a very specific purpose for this little bottle, don’t you agree?”

He blinks his eyes open, struggling to focus with how Dick rubs his fingers closer and closer to Jason’s hole. “I—I think you’re not human.” The words escape before he can realize he’s said them. And it’s ridiculous, really. He has always held a healthy fear of the supernatural, but believing and seeing, as he knows better than most, are two completely different things.

Dick stills for just a moment, then a smile splits his face, different from before. Almost proud. “I think you may be right.” 

Jason doesn’t have time to process that before Dick closes the distance between them again, pressing a punishing kiss to his lips even as those cold, cold fingers swipe over his rim at last.

Dick shoves his knees apart with his own, forcing Jason to further expose himself, giving Dick more room to work. 

“Just relax, Father. I’ll make sure this is good for both of us.”

There’s no real time to process that before a single finger slips inside him, and if Jason thought it was cold before, it feels like ice now. He can’t help but moan at the intrusion, though, not when Dick immediately starts prodding and rubbing at his prostate. 

“There you go,” Dick whispers, pressing another finger into him. “You open up so nicely.”

Jason lets out little punched-out gasps as Dick starts thrusting his fingers, scissoring them open to help stretch Jason out. It’s a good thing Dick seems to know what he’s doing, even stopping to apply more lube, because Jason is completely incapable of coherent thought.

The temperature difference starts to feel less startling, and he’s not sure if that’s because he’s adjusting, or because Dick’s fingers are warming up. Knowing the answer of _what_ Dick is would probably help. A demon of some sort, surely. He is being tested, and he is certain he has failed.

_My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart..._

Dick slides his fingers out, and the blunt head of his cock starts pressing against Jason’s hole.

He latches onto Dick’s arms on either side of his head, face screwing up as he tries not to tense because this. _This_ was familiar.

“I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t. Please,” he babbles out, not entirely knowing what he’s begging for.

“Shh, it’s okay. I will take care of you.” Dick smiles down at him, expression surprisingly soft as he threads their fingers together. He slips inside and Jason has to throw his head back just to breathe.

It’s been far too long since he’s done this, and while the feeling of trying to adjust to a cock inside him is familiar, he’s out of practice even without the temperature element. Dick hushes him through it, though. Presses kisses to the sides of his face and down his neck, thrusting shallowly to encourage Jason to relax. 

“That’s it,” he praises when he’s able to slide deeper, pressing forward until his hips are flush against Jason’s ass and his cock is so deep Jason can practically taste it. “You take me so well.” Dick lets go of one of Jason’s hands in order to cup his head, tipping it back to give Dick the space to press a kiss a pulse point on his neck.

His thrusts start to lengthen, going from shallow pulses to true thrusts, pulling out nearly all the way before snapping his hips in hard enough to jolt Jason up the bed. 

God forgive him, he’s missed this.

_Through my fault, my fault, my most grievous fault..._

Jason lets out a moan when Dick finds the right angle to hit his prostate, skilled enough to keep hitting it, pushing Jason towards climax. 

Dick, for his part, seems to be well on his way toward the same path.

“You smell so sweet, darling.” He rubs his nose up the length of Jason’s neck, pausing at his pulse point to suck a bruise. “Your blood calls for me. A bite here,” teeth press against the hickey over his carotid, “would be perfect. Everything I could want. But then I wouldn’t stop, and Jason?” He pulls back enough to make eye contact, even though Jason is barely coherent enough to comprehend his words. “You’re special. If I did that, we could never do this again, for you’d be dead. And that? Well, I don’t want that. You see, I'm selfish. I want you, but I want you forever. I want you to live. So remember, Jason." Dick nuzzles down against his collar bone, brushes his lips over Jason’s shoulder. "Remember my generosity." 

Jason doesn’t have time to puzzle out what Dick means before blinding agony radiates from his shoulder. 

White spots dance across his vision, and he's dimly aware that Dick is moaning, thrusting into him in an almost frenzied manner, but it's too much. Too many conflicting stimuli, and he starts to feel woozy, his eyelids too heavy to keep open. 

He blinks, trying to stay awake, but the dark haze crowding his vision keeps growing, and the pain slowly fades away to nothing. 

_I confess to You, Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned..._

* * *

St. Stephen the Martyr, Jason’s home for the past several years, is the only Catholic church in Crime Alley. It was founded in the early 1900s and has been remodeled exactly once. Several stained glass windows are boarded up with cheap plywood, and the air conditioner stopped functioning years before Jason came to this place.

St. Mary of the Annunciation in Crest Hill is completely different. Four parishes combined into one, the larger church sits directly next to the old chapel. The stained glass is new. The floors are polished. 

Jason hates it almost immediately, but he’s desperate. Father Jean-Paul was the first to get back to him with scheduling a confession appointment. The average age of the parish is late 30s, early 40s, nothing like Jason’s congregation of men and women in their 60s and up, most widowed.

He steps into the sanctuary and blesses himself with water he fears will burn him. The face of Jesus on the cross stares down at him, as if the stone can see his sins. 

The confessional lies behind the musician area, so different from the choir loft of Jason’s church, one that should have been condemned years before.

Jason’s parish remains strong through faith.

Father Jean-Paul’s remains strong through generous monetary contributions.

He steps into the confessional, grateful to see a screen. He crosses himself and kneels down, right knee hitting the surface first. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been one week since my last confession.” He shuts his eyes and takes a breath. He can smell the incense burned at yesterday’s mass even now. It threatens to suffocate him as he confesses, “I have fallen prey to sins of the flesh.” _I told him it wasn’t right…_ The priest behind the screen is silent, and Jason feels guilt wash over him. “I am sorry for this and all the sins of my past life.” 

He shuts his eyes as Father Jean-Paul speaks, counseling him through his sins and assigning penance. Jason promises to do them after his own Ash Wednesday mass. 

“My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things…”

* * *

“Behold the Lamb of God,” Jason speaks, holding the Eucharist high for his parish to see. “Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb.”

“Lord,” his Parish begins. “I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Jason kneels at the foot of the altar, taking the body and blood of Christ while crossing himself. He turns to give communion to the ministers before descending the stairs to meet his parish.

“The Body of Christ.”

“Amen.”

It’s a longer procession than he is used to. While not a holy day of obligation, it seems Ash Wednesday brings a larger crowd than he sees each Sunday. 

From the corner of his eye, Jason sees him, tall and deathly pale at the back of his line. _You have nothing to fear,_ he tells himself. The Body of Christ is sacred. A monster like that should not be able to touch it, let alone consume it.

Surely enough, Dick approaches with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Jason’s breath catches as he draws nearer and nearer. He has given thousands of blessings in his lifetime. This is no different.

All of God’s creatures, he reminds himself, are holy and good.

Sometimes, he thinks, this is easier to say than to believe.

He places his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “May God bless you and keep you,” he whispers, hoping his voice does not betray his nerves.

He watches as Dick proceeds through the line, stopping before Freddie, an elderly blind man who had been at the parish longer than Jason’s been alive. Freddie’s hands tremble as he wipes the chalice with a cloth. Jason cannot warn him without causing a scene.

“The Blood of Christ.” Freddie holds the chalice out to Dick.

A cruel smile is plastered on his face. Jason can see it, even from his profile. He watches as Dick bites down on the inside of his cheek.

Dick tilts his head back to glance at Jason. 

“Amen,” he speaks as he takes the cup into his hands. Something dark and thick trails down Dick’s chin, only for a second before he wipes his face with the back of his hand.

A trick of the light, Jason hopes, or at least he prays. He takes the remainder of the blessed sacrament back up to the altar, carefully placing the leftover hosts into the proper container. He pours the remaining wine into a single chalice, pausing at what he sees—a thick, dark substance mixed in with the watered down wine.

He can feel Dick’s eyes on him, even from the opposite end of the sanctuary.

His parish sits kneeled, facing him. He needs to finish what he’s started. Their eternal souls depend on it if what he believes is true.

He shuts his eyes and raises the chalice to his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you’re left wondering, Lu and I are subscribing to the idea that vampires turn humans via making the human drink their blood. So. >:D
> 
> (Lu and I would also like to clarify that we do not believe homosexuality is a sin, but that is a discussion for another day)
> 
> I would also like to put a huge shoutout to the mods of the Batfam Ship discord server, who put this wonderful event together!! CaptainLordAuditor’s art is absolutely *gorgeous*!!!!


End file.
